Reality TV has a way of pulling us in — sometimes for the drama, sometimes for the pure absurdity.
But the latest season of Celebs Go Dating on E4 has officially sunk to a new low.
This show, which has been dragging on for nine long years, continues to bring together fading celebrities and has-beens in a desperate search for love — or at least some attention.
And this time, the drama unfolds on a Mediterranean getaway that’s more cringe than charm.
The Struggle Is Real for This Lineup of Reality Stars and Pop Has-Beens
Imagine a bar filled with former pop stars and reality TV veterans flailing about, trying to cling to relevance. That’s pretty much the scene.
Watching these familiar faces—some who had fleeting fame in the 90s and others who’ve never quite made it—acting like fish out of water is enough to make you consider embracing singlehood forever.
Take Kerry Katona, for instance. Once part of the girl group Atomic Kitten, she now refers to herself as “best known for being a singer, a mother, a reality star, and a car crash.”
At 44, Kerry’s candid about her personal life—she’s been through three marriages and a broken engagement, joking that she just “meets someone and we get married,” before laughing uproariously and scanning the room like she’s on the hunt again.
From Pop Stardom to Reality TV Reality Checks
While Kerry has at least had chart success, others on the show struggle with what they’re known for.
Christine McGuinness, for example, seems to be famous mainly for her split from and ongoing living arrangement with Paddy McGuinness.
She openly shares that she’s dating women now, and the producers, in a nod to inclusivity, stocked the dating pool with a handful of lesbian participants—though it felt more like tokenism than genuine diversity.
Love and Laughter (and Awkwardness) in the Dating Pool
Among the mix is Jon Lee from S Club 7, a 43-year-old who describes his “ideal man” as rough around the edges, fun, but also someone who looks like they could “rip your head off with their bare hands.”
Then there are younger reality stars Olivia Hawkins (from Love Island) and Louis Russell (Too Hot To Handle), who seem way more interested in flirting with each other than anyone else.
Louis, who clearly thinks he’s the star of his own show, was the first to pick a date—though he couldn’t remember her name, guessing “Catherine” or “Jenny,” which turned out to be Caitlin. Talk about confidence!
Rob Beckett’s Commentary Feels Stuck in the Past
Narrating all this chaos is comedian Rob Beckett, whose forced enthusiasm sounds more like a holiday camp host trying to hype up bored campers.
His lingo seems frozen in the early 2000s, especially when he excitedly announced their upcoming Ibiza trip with a phrase like “front-loading this mofo with a mega break.”
You can almost hear the cringe echo through the screen.
Why We Watch Despite It All
Celebs Go Dating might be a mess, but it’s undeniably entertaining in the most bewildering way.
Whether it’s the desperate antics of Kerry Katona, the awkward flirtations, or the painfully outdated commentary, the show feels like a reality TV cautionary tale.
For those who love guilty pleasures and cringe-worthy moments, this series hits all the wrong notes perfectly.